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University of Evansville

My Hectic April (So Far)

This past week has been absolutely crazy. Besides class, homework and work (on campus and Old Navy, thank you very much), I’ve had readings to attend, conferences at which to present, presentations to give, emails to graduate schools to send—it’s been a very “collegy” week for sure.

Tuesday afternoon I presented my honors program project, an analysis of the function of the country estate in three different works of literature (I swear, it really is pretty interesting. At least to me.). Afterwards, I had this weird feeling—three and a half years before, when attending the welcome dinner for honors students, there had been vague mention of there being some final project, but I had never really considered it in terms of myself; “honors project” was just something floating out there, nebulous and unreal. And now it’s over. I’ve completed everything I need to do to graduate honors. It feels so very bizarre.

Thursday I attended the creative writing department’s senior coffee hour, at which my roommate read a piece (and did fantastically). Here again, the fact that I am a senior was really driven home to me—all of my talented friends and peers are reading at this, the culmination of their college careers. I’ve been to other senior coffee hours, and always marveled vaguely at the talents performing, regarding them as somehow older, more aware, more experienced. And now, that’s me and my friends.

Today, I presented at the Chutney conference, which is our English department’s student conference. Honestly, I was less than excited about going; not dreading it, exactly, but not my first choice of things to do on a Saturday morning. But it was actually an incredible experience. Getting to hear what my peers had to say about literature, having the chance to practice speaking in front of a crowd and having my ideas out there in the world, was really gratifying. The free food was nice, too (even if my fortune cookie told me to “Enjoy life while you can,” which makes me a little nervous…).

And I’m finally starting to get things solidified for next year. I know where I’m going to graduate school, and feel really good about it. (When I got the news, I may have run around my apartment crying and laughing in a rather embarrassing spectacle; good thing my roommate was out). I’m still nervous about graduation, about leaving Evansville—but I’m finally getting ready to face my future.